Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Physics

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

56 Ranked Colleges
1,193 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Physics is the 57th most popular major in the country with 13,287 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,772 general physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,193 general physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 56 colleges that offer a degree in general physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general physics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general physics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full UChicago General Physics Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at U-M

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 61 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about General Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 34 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse General Physics Report

#9 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at Ohio State

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#14 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at Purdue

#9

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at Indiana University - Bloomington

#10

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#7 in overall quality

Oberlin College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin College is $9,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at Oberlin

#11

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Physics at Michigan State University

#12

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Physics at Notre Dame

#13

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 20 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $8,366 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at UW - River Falls

#14

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 8 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Read full report on General Physics at UW - Stevens Point

#15

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater General Physics Report

#16

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

Beloit College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Beloit is a small school located in Beloit, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Beloit has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Beloit is $8,574 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Beloit College General Physics Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about General Physics at SIUE

#18

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Eau Claire General Physics Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $6,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Parkside General Physics Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Physics at IUPUI

#21

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ball State General Physics Report

#22

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in University Center, Michigan, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $10,522 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Saginaw Valley State University General Physics Report

#23

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $7,129 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Physics at PFW

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at UIC

With a ranking of #25, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $11,687 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW Oshkosh General Physics Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

Featured Physical Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You